Acquired from the Senators as part of the Linus Ullmark trade in the offseason, Kastelic has made an immediate impact in Boston.
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TORONTO — Mark Kastelic has provided some punch to the Bruins’ lineup, and on Friday the club provided him some security.
The Bruins signed Kastelic to a three-year contract extension through 2027-28 with an annual salary-cap hit of $1.56 million.
Acquired from the Senators as part of the Linus Ullmark trade in the offseason, Kastelic has made an immediate impact. The fourth-line center has four goals and 11 points in 39 games, and has provided some muscle with a willingness to protect his teammates by dropping the gloves.
“That emotion, energy, and physicality that he can bring, it can change the tide of the game,” captain Brad Marchand said following a November win over Utah in which Kastelic fought Robert Bortuzzo. “It got us feeling emotionally engaged, and you need that throughout the course of the year. Guys like him, you can never really truly understand how valuable they are.”
Kastelic is tied for the NHL lead in penalty minutes — with teammate Nikita Zadorov — with 76.
“I definitely feel like the guys in this room respect that a lot, which I appreciate,” Kastelic said of his willingness to go toe-to-toe. “I’m just trying to make an impact the best I can in any way, shape, or form.”
Entering Saturday’s game against the Maple Leafs, Kastelic had a team-high 151 hits. Only Vancouver’s Kiefer Sherwood (214) had more.